AP vs Secret Shop – In-Depth Review

This in-depth review was originally posted by osea_chelleo on the EGL Community on December 9, 2008. It was edited for optimized viewing with permission by talia_speaks.

AP vs Secret Shop – An In-depth Review by osea_chelleo

I had always wondered if there really was any difference between the Angelic Pretty shoes and the SecretShop replicas, aside from price.
So after closely comparing tea party shoes from both brands, I compiled the results below.

Please note that both shoes are not the same size, the AP shoes are a size ‘M’ whereas the SS shoes are a size ‘S’. So the length of the toe area will vary due to this.

Firstly, I looked at the shoes from a side on view.

You can see that the front bow on the AP shoe sits flatter against the toe of the shoe, whereas the sides of the SS bow ’stand up’, making it look a little untidy. The sides of the shoe on the AP Teaparty’s is ‘deeper’ in comparsion to the replicas, and both shoes do not share the same faux wood heels. The SS shoes have a darker coloured ‘wood’ for their heel, and the stitching around the heel is much closer to the sides of the shoe [hard to explain]

Comparing the front bows. As I said before, the AP bows sit flatter on the shoes than their SS counterparts. It is almost as if the SS bows are ‘convex’ whereas the AP bows are ‘concave’
The AP bows are more fitting for the size of the front of the shoe, while the SS bows look oversized and ridiculously out of place.
There are obvious flaws and wrinkles in the centre of the SS bow, and nothing notable on the AP bows, which look perfect and smooth.

The toe caps of the SS shoes are much rounder than those of the original AP version. I cannot compare sizing between the brands as my pairs shoes are different sizes, but I assume that a rounder toe would allow for a slightly larger foot. Don’t take my word for it, though. To add to this, these ‘new’ SS tea party replicas run smaller than their old tea party replica [with the diamante bows]

First I’d like to excuse the grossness of my hands in these photos. I have poor circulation to my extremeties, which results in red and blotchy fingers and toes, even during the warmth of Summer.
I thought the differences between the form of the bow was very important to mention, and quite noticable!
Funnily enough, contrary to belief the replica shoe makes use of more fabric for its shoe bow than the original! Ususually the fakes skimp on materials, but not in this case

As you can see the SS replica bows are ‘doubled over’ whereas the AP bows are a single piece of faux leather.

Both shoes from behind.
The back bows on the AP shoes are wider, and the back of the shoe rises higher than the SS replica. Also, you can see the quality difference between the two shoes. The ’seam’ down the back of the AP shoe is perfectly straight, whilst the replica has a kink in it and the bow is placed askew.

This photo clearly shows the difference in the faux wood heel colours, too.

Soles. Once again, you can see the AP shoes are a narrower fit overall, making the SS replicas a better bet for wider feet. My own feet are very narrow [thanks, dad =\ ] so the AP ones are a better fit. Aside for being too long for me, of course.

Also, how funny it is that the AP shoes state they are made in China whereas the SS version don’t? xD

The traction on the heels is slightly different between the two brands, one would assume the AP shoes have better quality soles but in all honesty soles are all much the same and get worn out according to the care of the owner. If you drag your feet when you walk, your million dollar chanel wedges are going to have beat up soles whether you like it or not.

Hardware. Yes, I am positive both shoes share the exact same heart buckles.
When it comes to adjusting the strap size on the shoes, the AP ones are much easier to deal with.
I have very skinny ankles, and am forever needing to make ankle straps smaller.

When attempting to do this on the SS shoes, the smaller holes were really hard to push through, whereas the material used for the AP shoes was more supple and easier to push a hole through with the buckle.

If you do not need to adjust the ankle strap, this matter will not concern you anyway! ^^

The straps on both shoes appear to be made from different materials. The SS straps have a ‘dimpled’ underside, and the AP straps have a relatively smooth underside with a slight sheen.

Not a big deal really, just an observation.

To conclude

I believe that the quality of the Angelic Pretty shoes is superior to the quality of SecretShop, and I can safely say that they are in fact not the same shoe design. The shape is different. Though to the naked eye, the SecretShop tea party’s are an excellent replica. They are an improvement from their first and second replicas of the TPS, which looked nothing like the AP original.

I have observed people saying that both shoes are derived from the same shoe mold, but this cannot be true as the construction of the shoes is different, and the sides and backs of the AP shoes are ‘higher’ than the SS replica.

If you want to see examples of a replica that is identical to the real shoe, check out the ‘Cake shoes’, ‘Dressing up shoes’, and the new ‘Classic ribbon’ shoes by SecretShop. Though the materials used may be different, the design is identical to the AP version.

Though the quality of AP’s shoes is better, and they have obviously taken more care in the appearance of their shoes [stricter quality control, shoes with flaws are not allowed to be made or otherwise discarded], I do not feel this justifies the shoes costing 3x – 4x the price of the SecretShop replicas. I am not basing the SecretShop price on how much the LJ/ebay resellers list them for, I am basing the figure on the price listed by the manufacturer in China.

The AP shoes are just as prone to scuffing as the replicas, and are made from PU, not leather. Basically, what you are paying for is the brand name, and if having a brand name label does not concern you then I would recommend buying the replicas. Unless of course you are wanting tea party shoes in colours not available for the replicas..eg. mint, cranberry red, dark pink, brown…

However, if you haunt Mbok auctions like I do, sometimes you can pick up lightly used genuine AP tea party shoes for reasonable prices. I purchased my mint tea party shoes shown in the photographs above for 20,000yen, which is above retail price. But you may be able to pick up other colours [pink, red] for as little as 9,000yen if you’re lucky. Compared with the prices you pay to LJ SecretShop suppliers, this may seem quite reasonable, even after shopping service fees.